Did You Know Absinthe Is ...

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Absinthe Evaluation Tutorial

Do you know how to tell a great absinthe from a so-so absinthe? What does one look for, or demand, in a glass of absinthe? Just as with fine wine, fine absinthe has a whole language and system for evaluation and tasting.

We have changed the review section for Leopold Verte to exclude batches 14 and earlier due to the extreme changes made in this brand since it was first release.

Editor reviews

Average editor rating from: 2 user(s)

Overall rating

4.3

Appearance

4.5 (2)

Louche

4.5 (2)

Aroma

5.0 (2)

Flavor / Mouthfeel

4.0 (2)

Finish

4.0 (2)

Overall

4.0 (2)

Batch 30.

Before water the absinthe is bright, clear peridot. Ideal. The aroma first reminds me of cologne, but with some lemon undertones. Fruity with anise and wormwood beneath.

The louche is a little on the thin side, but it's a very pretty opalescent green with a hint of blue. After water the aroma is absolutely room filling, very fruity. In the glass there's a great balance of absinthe herbs. Ever so slight tartness. Very well constructed.

On the palate there's lots of anise upfront, some powder. Lemon. Wormwood is present but plays a support role. Everything is blended very well. Very bright, crisp, and delightful. It's already fairly mellow so i wonder what a few years of aging would do for it.

The finish is very long and fruity. Not much numbing at all. The balance remains constant instead of playing about.

This is quite an excellent absinthe. It should be a staple on anyone's shelf.

Wow.

Batch 30.

Before water the absinthe is bright, clear peridot. Ideal. The aroma first reminds me of cologne, but with some lemon undertones. Fruity with anise and wormwood beneath.

The louche is a little on the thin side, but it's a very pretty opalescent green with a hint of blue. After water the aroma is absolutely room filling, very fruity. In the glass there's a great balance of absinthe herbs. Ever so slight tartness. Very well constructed.

On the palate there's lots of anise upfront, some powder. Lemon. Wormwood is present but plays a support role. Everything is blended very well. Very bright, crisp, and delightful. It's already fairly mellow so i wonder what a few years of aging would do for it.

The finish is very long and fruity. Not much numbing at all. The balance remains constant instead of playing about.

This is quite an excellent absinthe. It should be a staple on anyone's shelf.

This review has been edited tin include my thoughts on recent batches and how they compared to the original review of Batch 4.
UPDATED REVIEW:
Color: I was very excited to see the new color of this absinthe. Obviously the coloration step was cut down dramatically, leading to a much cleaner, brighter, vibrant emerald green. Very inviting.

Louche: As I expected, the louche has now become spot on. Very nice trails, good layering and a nice, milky green final product.

Aroma: This has also improved with the lighter coloration. The coloring herbs aren't as dominant. You can pick up more anise as well.

Flavor: Definitely more anise in this batch, while the wormwood still stay in the forefront. Packs a punch from the white pepper taste of coriander, but not at all in a bad way.

Finish: The anise lingers a bit more than last time and plays with the mintiness of the wormwood and the peppery coriander. Nice and refreshing.

Overall: This is leaps and bounds above the Batch 4. One of the top offerings in the US, without a doubt. I highly recommend picking up a bottle. It should be included in any absinthe tasting get-together.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I was lucky enough to get a couple of bottles of batch 4 this past week.

Presentation notes: I really like the label and the bottle. While the clear glass might lead to a quicker fuille morte, a comment made by the distiller suggests that they will be putting a small pamphlet on the neck of the bottle explaining the effects of sunlight on vertes. A nice history blurb on the back label as well.

Color: (2) The color is definitely too deep. They sat on the coloring herbs a bit too long. This is an acknowledged issue that should be corrected in future batches. While too dark, it is not unattractive.

Louche: (3) The louche builds up very nicely. It's a bit murky, due to the strong coloration, but it forms well. As the coloring step is corrected, the louche should be wonderful.

Aroma: (4) The aroma packs a nice punch of wormwood, veronica and melissa. I'd like to pick up some more anise, but that also is supposed to be adjusted in coming batches.

Flavor: (3) So far, this absinthe has the strongest wormwood profile of any of the US absinthes. I was very pleasantly suprised. It's an enjoyable flavor, but a bit off balance, as there is a lack of anise in this batch. Due to the coloration, you definitely pick up a lot of veronica as well.

Finish: (4) The finish is very fresh and clean with a pleasant minty wormwood bitterness.

Overall: (3) I see this absinthe as one with great promise. While this batch does have some faults to it, the distiller has already picked up on them and has adjusted the anise and coloration for future batches. It's a good start. I'm looking forward to seeing how the upcoming batches evolve. They should be quite good.
BATCH 4 FINAL SCORE: 3.1

Batch 28: A favorite of mine

This review has been edited tin include my thoughts on recent batches and how they compared to the original review of Batch 4.
UPDATED REVIEW:
Color: I was very excited to see the new color of this absinthe. Obviously the coloration step was cut down dramatically, leading to a much cleaner, brighter, vibrant emerald green. Very inviting.

Louche: As I expected, the louche has now become spot on. Very nice trails, good layering and a nice, milky green final product.

Aroma: This has also improved with the lighter coloration. The coloring herbs aren't as dominant. You can pick up more anise as well.

Flavor: Definitely more anise in this batch, while the wormwood still stay in the forefront. Packs a punch from the white pepper taste of coriander, but not at all in a bad way.

Finish: The anise lingers a bit more than last time and plays with the mintiness of the wormwood and the peppery coriander. Nice and refreshing.

Overall: This is leaps and bounds above the Batch 4. One of the top offerings in the US, without a doubt. I highly recommend picking up a bottle. It should be included in any absinthe tasting get-together.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I was lucky enough to get a couple of bottles of batch 4 this past week.

Presentation notes: I really like the label and the bottle. While the clear glass might lead to a quicker fuille morte, a comment made by the distiller suggests that they will be putting a small pamphlet on the neck of the bottle explaining the effects of sunlight on vertes. A nice history blurb on the back label as well.

Color: (2) The color is definitely too deep. They sat on the coloring herbs a bit too long. This is an acknowledged issue that should be corrected in future batches. While too dark, it is not unattractive.

Louche: (3) The louche builds up very nicely. It's a bit murky, due to the strong coloration, but it forms well. As the coloring step is corrected, the louche should be wonderful.

Aroma: (4) The aroma packs a nice punch of wormwood, veronica and melissa. I'd like to pick up some more anise, but that also is supposed to be adjusted in coming batches.

Flavor: (3) So far, this absinthe has the strongest wormwood profile of any of the US absinthes. I was very pleasantly suprised. It's an enjoyable flavor, but a bit off balance, as there is a lack of anise in this batch. Due to the coloration, you definitely pick up a lot of veronica as well.

Finish: (4) The finish is very fresh and clean with a pleasant minty wormwood bitterness.

Overall: (3) I see this absinthe as one with great promise. While this batch does have some faults to it, the distiller has already picked up on them and has adjusted the anise and coloration for future batches. It's a good start. I'm looking forward to seeing how the upcoming batches evolve. They should be quite good.
BATCH 4 FINAL SCORE: 3.1

Average user rating from: 11 user(s)

Batch 71. The first time I opened up this bottle and had some, I remember the grape-base being a little over-powering and not to my taste. Trying it tonight tells me that aging is very good for this absinthe-- whatever it was that was throwing me off isn't apparent now, and this is a really good absinthe. When I kill this bottle, I'll probably try to replace it with another one from Leopold Bros.

Appearance: About the only problem with it IMO. It's clear, pale green... but a little too pale for my preferences to rate a "4".

Louche: Excellent. Thick, full, but with nice highlights and good translucent shine-through.

Aroma: Pre-louche I just get hot, medicinal alcohol, but it's after-louche that counts... and then this is the best Absinthe for aroma I've had so far. If "Absinthe as air-freshener" is your thing, Leopold is your brand. :)

Flavor/Mouthfeel: Superb. Clean, complex, intricate, interesting... worth slowly savoring and enjoying down to the end of the glass.

Finish: clean and full, pure enjoyment.

Overall: This is a very well-made absinthe, worth appreciating almost any time.

Interesting and well-made

Batch 71. The first time I opened up this bottle and had some, I remember the grape-base being a little over-powering and not to my taste. Trying it tonight tells me that aging is very good for this absinthe-- whatever it was that was throwing me off isn't apparent now, and this is a really good absinthe. When I kill this bottle, I'll probably try to replace it with another one from Leopold Bros.

Appearance: About the only problem with it IMO. It's clear, pale green... but a little too pale for my preferences to rate a "4".

Louche: Excellent. Thick, full, but with nice highlights and good translucent shine-through.

Aroma: Pre-louche I just get hot, medicinal alcohol, but it's after-louche that counts... and then this is the best Absinthe for aroma I've had so far. If "Absinthe as air-freshener" is your thing, Leopold is your brand. :)

Flavor/Mouthfeel: Superb. Clean, complex, intricate, interesting... worth slowly savoring and enjoying down to the end of the glass.

Finish: clean and full, pure enjoyment.

Overall: This is a very well-made absinthe, worth appreciating almost any time.

The aroma is fruity and with a hint of citrus along with the expected Anise and Wormwood. The flavor again has a very pleasant note of fruitiness that is paired very well with the spiciness of the wormwood. The Anise is balanced well with all of these other flavors for a magnificently complex drink that is my go to brand when buying locally.

Fantastic every day Absinthe

The aroma is fruity and with a hint of citrus along with the expected Anise and Wormwood. The flavor again has a very pleasant note of fruitiness that is paired very well with the spiciness of the wormwood. The Anise is balanced well with all of these other flavors for a magnificently complex drink that is my go to brand when buying locally.

Color: A nice green/yellow color. I keep mine in a closed cabinet but imagine sunlight would cause more of the yellow to come out over time. Very pretty to look upon.

Louche: The louche is one of the things I really enjoy about this absinthe - nice and thick. The louching process is also fun to watch but perhaps everything clouds up a bit too slowly. Almost like the show is over before I have time to fully admire it - but the resulting louche is too gorgeous to find much fault here. Resulting color is a very light green. Very delicate and nearly glowing in the right lighting conditions. Again, gorgeous.

Aroma: During the louching process, the aroma is something that actually strikes me more than the visuals. As the absinthe begins to cloud, the smell just billows into the air around you and it is quite appealing. I love this about Leopolds.

Flavor: I fear that I'm not experienced enough yet to discern and individualize many of the botanicals used in absinthe. The flavor is a definite winner though - the aroma almost provides a sneak at the coming taste experience. It is altogether pleasant and full and I find myself judging other absinthes by this one... perhaps a bit too harshly.

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is substantial and creamy. Definitely not a watery absinthe!

Finish: There is a nice numbing sensation with this one that tends to linger a bit. It really does call to most of the senses and that is something I look for in a good absinthe. A well-rounded, fully-engaged experience!

Overall: I love how Leopold Bros. writes the batch number on every bottle. I enjoy their gin as well, and they seem to number absolutely everything. This review was written while imbibing a sample of batch #53 but I have also had #48 and #52 and all seem quite consistent, from my recollection. As of the time of this writing, it is my absolute favorite absinthe!

Best Absinthe in Denver!

Color: A nice green/yellow color. I keep mine in a closed cabinet but imagine sunlight would cause more of the yellow to come out over time. Very pretty to look upon.

Louche: The louche is one of the things I really enjoy about this absinthe - nice and thick. The louching process is also fun to watch but perhaps everything clouds up a bit too slowly. Almost like the show is over before I have time to fully admire it - but the resulting louche is too gorgeous to find much fault here. Resulting color is a very light green. Very delicate and nearly glowing in the right lighting conditions. Again, gorgeous.

Aroma: During the louching process, the aroma is something that actually strikes me more than the visuals. As the absinthe begins to cloud, the smell just billows into the air around you and it is quite appealing. I love this about Leopolds.

Flavor: I fear that I'm not experienced enough yet to discern and individualize many of the botanicals used in absinthe. The flavor is a definite winner though - the aroma almost provides a sneak at the coming taste experience. It is altogether pleasant and full and I find myself judging other absinthes by this one... perhaps a bit too harshly.

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is substantial and creamy. Definitely not a watery absinthe!

Finish: There is a nice numbing sensation with this one that tends to linger a bit. It really does call to most of the senses and that is something I look for in a good absinthe. A well-rounded, fully-engaged experience!

Overall: I love how Leopold Bros. writes the batch number on every bottle. I enjoy their gin as well, and they seem to number absolutely everything. This review was written while imbibing a sample of batch #53 but I have also had #48 and #52 and all seem quite consistent, from my recollection. As of the time of this writing, it is my absolute favorite absinthe!

Note: This review is of batch 21. I had batch 30 before writing reviews and it seemed just slightly better than this batch in about every area.

Color: The color is a natural green. Bright but also very clear. I tend to like the unlouched color a bit darker than this.

Louche: The louche is actually pretty slow on this one. It starts out very thin and gets a bit better if it is let to sit. Still too thin after a swirl even but only by a bit.

Aroma: The aroma is pleasant and carries a bit of heat to it. The heat doesn't override the herb bill and some mint can be detected at higher ratios. Leopold Bros. Verte is not too complex, a straightforward smell.

Flavor: At lower ratios there is mainly a sweet grape base and alcohol. At 4:1 the taste evens out and reveals the basic herbs. This tastes just like it smells; it doesn't seem too complex but not the most simple either. A good taste that doesn't disappoint nor surprise.

Finish: There is a slight mouth warmth and the finish sweetens up a bit. The flavor doesn't linger for too long and is mainly comprised of wormwood and anise.

Overall: This is an excellent absinthe to get your bearings on. There is probably a variation between batches as I remember batch 30 being slightly better in all aspects. A fine absinthe for anyone wanting a simple yet tasty and authentic drink.

Denver's Finest.

Note: This review is of batch 21. I had batch 30 before writing reviews and it seemed just slightly better than this batch in about every area.

Color: The color is a natural green. Bright but also very clear. I tend to like the unlouched color a bit darker than this.

Louche: The louche is actually pretty slow on this one. It starts out very thin and gets a bit better if it is let to sit. Still too thin after a swirl even but only by a bit.

Aroma: The aroma is pleasant and carries a bit of heat to it. The heat doesn't override the herb bill and some mint can be detected at higher ratios. Leopold Bros. Verte is not too complex, a straightforward smell.

Flavor: At lower ratios there is mainly a sweet grape base and alcohol. At 4:1 the taste evens out and reveals the basic herbs. This tastes just like it smells; it doesn't seem too complex but not the most simple either. A good taste that doesn't disappoint nor surprise.

Finish: There is a slight mouth warmth and the finish sweetens up a bit. The flavor doesn't linger for too long and is mainly comprised of wormwood and anise.

Overall: This is an excellent absinthe to get your bearings on. There is probably a variation between batches as I remember batch 30 being slightly better in all aspects. A fine absinthe for anyone wanting a simple yet tasty and authentic drink.

Color: Very pretty and olive in the bottle with a little bit of swirling "sediment", although it's more like a teensy bit of a dark green dust. In the glass, it's a clear, very pale citrine color.

Louche: I would give half points here if I could (3.5). The Leopold has always louched relatively thin for me, and after being fully diluted will build to a more opaque louche after about 5 or 10 minutes of it resting. There is some translucent layering, and a slight opalescence in color, while maintaining some good green qualities. It should be noted that the thinness of the louche in no way effects the texture of the absinthe. I find most of the time thin louche = watery feel, but this is certainly not the case here.

Aroma: This is packed with nose-tickling anise, a sweet note and some wormwood, a mentholated minty aroma, and something nice and floral that I'm not familiar with. It also has a nice little alcohol-heat kick.

Flavor: Very balanced and nice, a good hint of alcohol flavor (but not at all in a bad way.) Nothing in the flavor is too forward or overpowering, all playing nicely with each other.

Finish: Warm and nice in the back corners of my mouth. It has a tasty licorice finish (like if black licorice cut out the heavy tar flavor and replaced it with freshness and sugar), with a really great freshness from the melissa.

Overall: This review is of a bottle of batch 21 that I just picked up, which means the bottle itself is a little older, as I had a bottle of batch 30 nearly a year ago. As always, I mixed this without sugar, and it becomes nicely balanced a little closer to 4:1, eliminating a little more of the alcohol bite that is present at lower dilutions. It took a week or so after opening and having a glass or two before it really rounded itself out. This is a nice absinthe to have on hand, definitely worth picking up a bottle if possible.

A good, solid absinthe.

Color: Very pretty and olive in the bottle with a little bit of swirling "sediment", although it's more like a teensy bit of a dark green dust. In the glass, it's a clear, very pale citrine color.

Louche: I would give half points here if I could (3.5). The Leopold has always louched relatively thin for me, and after being fully diluted will build to a more opaque louche after about 5 or 10 minutes of it resting. There is some translucent layering, and a slight opalescence in color, while maintaining some good green qualities. It should be noted that the thinness of the louche in no way effects the texture of the absinthe. I find most of the time thin louche = watery feel, but this is certainly not the case here.

Aroma: This is packed with nose-tickling anise, a sweet note and some wormwood, a mentholated minty aroma, and something nice and floral that I'm not familiar with. It also has a nice little alcohol-heat kick.

Flavor: Very balanced and nice, a good hint of alcohol flavor (but not at all in a bad way.) Nothing in the flavor is too forward or overpowering, all playing nicely with each other.

Finish: Warm and nice in the back corners of my mouth. It has a tasty licorice finish (like if black licorice cut out the heavy tar flavor and replaced it with freshness and sugar), with a really great freshness from the melissa.

Overall: This review is of a bottle of batch 21 that I just picked up, which means the bottle itself is a little older, as I had a bottle of batch 30 nearly a year ago. As always, I mixed this without sugar, and it becomes nicely balanced a little closer to 4:1, eliminating a little more of the alcohol bite that is present at lower dilutions. It took a week or so after opening and having a glass or two before it really rounded itself out. This is a nice absinthe to have on hand, definitely worth picking up a bottle if possible.